Nadal close to claiming year-end No. 1 ranking

LONDON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal is close to wrapping up a third year-end ATP No. 1 ranking as the top tennis players in the world meet in London for the World Tour Finals.

Nadal was atop the rankings at the end of 2008 and 2010. If he can hold off Novak Djokovic's slim chances of passing him in the rankings, Nadal would be the first player to regain the No. 1 spot and hold it at year's end.

Nadal is 71-6 in 2013 with 10 titles. He's made the finals in 13 of the 15 tournaments he entered. He lost in the semifinals last week at the Paris Masters but, since he was injured and didn't play in the event in 2012 he picked up 360 rankings points.

That gives Nadal a 12,030-10,610 lead over Djokovic. If Nadal wins two matches in round-robin play this week, he will lock up the year-end No. 1 ranking.

Djokovic made history himself by beating David Ferrer in the finals of the PNB Paribas Masters in Paris. He is the 15th player to win 40 tournaments in his career.

Eight of the Top 10 players are in London for the world Tour Finals. No. 4-ranked Andy Murray qualified but withdrew with a bank injury. Tsonga finished 235 points back of Gasquet in missing out on qualifying.

Nadal leads Group A, which also has Ferrer, Berdych and Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Federer and Gasquet comprise Group B. The schedule calls for round-robin play with the two highest finishers in each group making the tournament semifinals.

The World Tour Finals finish off the ATP's 2013 calendar. The 2014 schedule opens Dec. 30 with tournaments in Chennai, India; Doha, Qatar; and Brisbane, Australia, two weeks before the Australian Open.

The ATP Top 10, listing player's name, home country and rankings points:

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.